Trade fairs can be excellent marketing events for attracting new business. They are hugely competitive however – many other companies will also be vying for attention, which is why it’s important to make your stall stand out. Here are several ways that you can make an impact and draw in the crowds.

Do a live product demo

If your business is a product, a live demo could help to make your stall more of a spectacle to passers-by. This is likely to be easier with some products than others. You can even get interactive and let people have a go themselves.

Give away free branded items

Everyone loves a freebie, no matter how trivial it may seem. Consider giving away branded items to passers-by. Think beyond pens and mugs – fun branded items could include silicone wristbands, stress balls, rubiks cubes and even branded m&ms. You could give these away in a branded bag, which may also contain a flyer or business card for additional informational purposes. Whilst a single branded item is likely to be cheap to produce, costs may add up when ordering these in large batches so bear this in mind.

Feed people’s interest

Most people are also attracted to food. Even if you don’t run a food or drink related business, you can still use food and drink to lure people in. Try to find something that suits your business and determine whether you could use it as an extra incentive to lure people into sales. For example, a company in the wedding trade could offer the incentive of a free glass of champagne to anyone that signs up to their service.

Dress creatively

How you dress might also be able to lure people to your stall. Consider getting in character with costumes or wearing bright branded t-shirts. Sort these out a few days before the trade show to guarantee that you have them for the day. Certain trades may require a more formal dress code, although you may still be able to bend the rules slightly. Trade fairs are vibrant affairs so consider choosing a bright tie or even a bold coloured suit. Relate this colour to any colour you may use in your branding to build up a sense of company identity.

Use eye-catching props

Using props can also attract people to your stall. On top of having a display stand or marquee, consider touches such as balloons, lighting, electric fans and televisions. You can also get creative when it comes to props, by choosing objects related to your company. Obviously, if your business is a product, you’ll want to show off this product on display, however even as a service you may be able to find related objects. These could be purely aesthetic such as a safe outside a security company stall or a piggy bank outside an investment company stall. Other could be interactive such as a roulette table outside a gambling company stall or table football outside a soccer gear company stand.

Host a competition

Offering your product or service as a prize in exchange for taking part in a competition could be a great way of attracting people to your stall. You may be able to charge people a small amount, or you could make signing up to the competition absolutely free. It could be a raffle or a tombola, or you could get people to play a game against one another and award the prize to whoever gets the highest score by the end of the day.

Get involved in social media

People will be posting on Facebook and Twitter whilst at the trade fair. Make sure that you’re joining in the discussion by posting about your stall and hashtagging the name of the trade fair. Social media could also be a great place for promoting any freebies, competitions or discounts that you may be offering. You don’t have to wait until the day to promote these incentives on social media – start tweeting days before to build up hype. Whilst at the trade fair you can also consider taking photos or even using Facebook’s live feature to video activity at your stall. Be careful of who you photograph and video as strangers may not like being made the face of your company online.